


In The Army

by TwoBoys2Love



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Army, Hurt Jared Padalecki, Jared Padalecki/Jeffrey Dean Morgan - Freeform, Jared/JDM - Freeform, Jared/Jeff, Kissing, M/M, Soldier Jared, Soldiers, Top Jeffrey Dean Morgan, UST, army jared, asshole Jensen, bottom!Jared, switch - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 19:29:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9840716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwoBoys2Love/pseuds/TwoBoys2Love
Summary: Jared signs up for basic training in the US Army. He wants to become an engineer and figures it will be a shortcut. It's also better than staying in Texas and telling his parents he's gay. What he doesn't count on is how hot the Base Commander is...or the wrath of his Drill Sergeant.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Art by emmtheslayer on Livejournal! Her art can be found here : http://emmatheslayer.livejournal.com/416000.html

Standing on the tarmac of the drill square, Jared began to question his sanity. He remembered the day he had first seen the recruiting table at the job center. His first mistake had been picking up the pamphlet. The glossy photos were interesting. The information inside had been inspirational.

The truly interesting part was the section informing Jared that after ten short weeks of basic training, he could go into engineering.

Jared’s second mistake had been thinking, “How hard can ten weeks of basic training be?”

Gerald Padalecki, a successful man in his own right, had begun fulfilling his paternal duty by nagging Jared when he turned sixteen. He wanted his son to plan out his future. Jared needed to take care of himself, his future, the wife, and kids he would have one day.

There was _no_ way that Jared was going to get into a conversation with his father about how he preferred guys, and was damned unlikely to have a wife at _any_ point in his life.

Mistake number three was thinking, “Basic training has _got_ to be easier than telling Dad I’m gay.”

So. Months later, with a shorter haircut than he’d ever had, Jared felt sweat drenching the back of his t-shirt as he stood on the tarmac at Fort Leonard Wood in St. Robert, Missouri. He was standing at attention, fists pressed flat against his thighs, heels together, back straight. He _had_ seen a lot of war movies.

There were about forty of them, all men. Apparently, their unit wasn’t co-ed. That could be good and bad.

“I am Drill Sergeant Ackles. For the next ten weeks, I will be your mother, your father, much more handsome big brother and any other relationship you can think of.”

Jared snickered. Their Drill Sergeant looked more like a model than an army man. It was a little difficult to take him seriously.

“Do you find something funny?” D.S. Ackles was about four inches away from Jared. There was a dangerous glint in his green eyes. The brim of his Smokey the Bear hat bumped against Jared’s forehead.

“Yes, no,” Jared said in quick succession. “Sir.” _Fuck._

There was only a fraction of a second for the Sergeant’s expression to darken before he was yelling in Jared’s face. “Who the _fuck_ do you think you are? Do not _ever_ call me Sir! I have given half my blood and all my sweat to get this rank. I work _hard_ every day to train maggots like you. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, Sergeant,” Jared said. He had to resist the urge to wipe some spit off his cheek.

“What? I can’t hear you,” D.S. Ackles yelled.

“Yes, Sergeant!” The yell came out so loudly that it hurt Jared’s throat.

After a long glare, Ackles moved away and Jared sucked in a deep breath. The first fifteen minutes and he’d already pissed off the Drill Sergeant. Awesome.

While Ackles seemed to move on to finding fault with someone else, Jared looked around discreetly. There was the mess building, something marked as an officer’s club and some long buildings with evenly spaced, small windows. They were probably the barracks: home for the next ten weeks.

When Jared’s gaze swung back to the edge of the drill square he noticed another man in uniform. From what Jared could recall from all the paperwork he’d read, it looked as though the man was a Lieutenant.

He was wearing the standard Army uniform: camouflage, hot weather tan boots and a black beret. When Jared studied the Lieutenant's face, he felt his mouth go a little dry. The man was _exactly_ Jared’s type.

The Lieutenant was probably in his forties, looked like he was over six feet tall. His broad shoulders and chest accentuated his narrow hips. He looked damned fit as well.

But, it was the Lieutenant’s face that really got to Jared. His slim face was a little sun-kissed. He had mostly black hair, dark eyebrows, and even darker eyes. They were kind eyes, though, edged by crow’s feet from a smile that Jared couldn’t help fantasizing about. He was the kind of man who probably had to shave twice a day to keep up with the Army standard but that just meant rough stubble all the time.

The booming, deep voice of D.S. Ackles drew closer and Jared’s gaze snapped back to the horizon ahead of him.

“You have _exactly_ one hour to find your bunk, unpack your kit and make your bed,” the DS barked. “Dinner will be at 1700 hours. I’m sure you can all stay out of trouble for _that_ long.”

Ackles paused in front of Jared and stared at him for a couple of moments before turning away. “Dismissed!”

~~~~~~~

“Matt Cohen, L.A.” A tall, dark-haired man with a bright smile stuck his hand out towards Jared.

“Jared Padalecki. I’m from Texas.” Jared grasped Matt’s hand and shook it firmly.

“I’m here, so we’re gonna be seeing a lot of each other.” Matt patted the bunk above Jared’s and grinned.

“Good,” Jared said as he pulled the sheets tight on his bed. “You seem … sane.”

There were a few guys in the barracks who seemed to have a few screws loose. Matt’s boy-next-door good looks _could_ be a bit deceiving but Jared’s gut instinct was that Matt was a nice guy.

Matt laughed and nodded. “Dude, have you talked to Pellegrino? The guy is a mental case.” He nodded in the direction of a blonde, with a round face and a few extra pounds. He was already lying on his bunk reading.”

“In a bad way?” Jared fluffed his very flat pillow but it didn’t do much to help.

“Let’s say, an unpredictable way,” Matt said conspiratorially.

“Good to know.” Jared filed the information away for future reference.

The metal bunk shook as Matt climbed up the end of it and flopped down.

Jared sank down onto the hard mattress and stretched out on his back. Only a few moments passed before Matt’s face appeared over the edge of the upper bunk. “Saw you starin’ at Morgan.”

“Who?” Jared reached up and poked at the springs under Matt’s mattress. He hoped they were stronger than they looked.

“First Lieutenant Jeffrey Morgan,” Matt said with an air of respect. “He runs the place.”

 _Great._ The man who Jared thought was hot also had a great deal of power. Nothing at all sexy about that. At least, that was what Jared was going to try and remember every time he thought about Morgan. “You know him?”

Matt shook his head. “My older brother came through here. Fuckin’ weird but he had Ackles too.”

“And? Will we survive?” Jared was still trying to decide whether he’d made a huge mistake or a step in the right direction.

“You should be careful how you look at Morgan,” Matt said quietly.

“What?” Jared could feel heat slithering up his neck and across his cheeks. “I was. He was just there.”

“Dude, you’ve got a shitty poker face,” Matt said as he chuckled.

That was something else that Jared was going to have to work on.

“Look, I don’t care if you’re gay,” Matt said.

Jared groaned. Even though Matt’s voice was low, it felt like the sentence was practically screamed at him. He couldn’t help looking around but all the other guys seemed to be talking or sleeping.

“The thing is,” Matt continued. “Ackles will kick your _ass_ if he figures it out. My bro served with a guy who was gay. Don’t ask, don’t tell my _ass_. He was outed when someone swiped one of his letters. It was from a boyfriend.”

“What happened to him?” There were definitely more things lining up in the _cons_ column. Joining the Army may well be the _dumbest_ thing Jared had ever done.

“Ackles rode him so hard that the guy he requested an E.L.S.” Matt raised his eyebrows and nodded knowingly.

“A what now?” Jared frowned and peered up at Matt. Nice guy, but Jared was beginning to wish that Matt was a little less talkative. His anxiety level had doubled since they’d started talking.”

“ _Entry Level Separation_. Guy basically said that he wasn’t adjusting because he was gay.” Matt pursed his lips and looked thoughtful.

“Wow.”

“Yeah.” Matt nodded. “So, be careful, Jared. You’re not very good at hiding what you’re thinking.” Matt grinned and smacked the edge of the bunk before disappearing.

Pressing his hands over his eyes, Jared let out a long sigh. _Perfect_. Things were _not_ going quite the way Jared had planned. It wasn’t that he had a problem being gay, he just didn’t particularly want everyone to know. And, it would be nice if he could make it through a week before making a complete ass of himself by ogling the Commanding officer.

Matt’s large brown eyes appeared above Jared again. “What do you think we’ll get for dinner?”

Right on cue, Jared’s stomach growled.

~~~~~~~

Every muscle in Jared’s body hurt. Even his ass ached every time he moved and _that_ had never happened before. They had been running, crawling, climbing, and doing what amounted to CrossFit for hours. They had run an obstacle course until their hands were covered in blisters. Jared felt two things only: exhaustion and pain.

It was the third day of basic training.

“I’m going to die,” Matt whispered.

“Shut up,” Jared said through gritted teeth.

They’d been standing at attention for an hour in the late afternoon sun. Parts of Jared’s khakis felt dry, parts were still wet and cold. There was mud caked down the side of his face and neck that was beginning to itch as it dried. Day three definitely sucked the most so far.

There were sixty-seven days of training left, one thousand six hundred and eight hours. Jared had worked it out while brushing his teeth robotically at 4:35 am.

The sound of boots on the tarmac behind them made Jared straighten up slightly.

“You get a real treat today. First Lieutenant Morgan is here to have an up-close look at how pathetic you are.” D.S. Ackles paced back and forth slowly in front of his men. He was moving past them quickly enough that Jared could feel a slight breeze.

“Lieutenant Morgan is the Company Commander. That means he is responsible for _every_ single thing that goes on here,” D.S. Ackles said as he paced by Jared again.

 _Lieutenant Morgan_. The man with the amazing dark eyes was going to be speaking to them. Jared closed his eyes for a moment and remembered Matt’s warning. He needed to keep his shit together and not act like a lovesick teenager.

Okay. So. Lieutenant Morgan was probably the hottest man that Jared had ever seen. Jared was never going to interact with the man. It was a pipe dream, at best.

“Commander.” D.S. Ackles stepped back slightly and blocked the sun from Jared’s face.

It was a relief. Jared’s eyes ached because he had been squinting for most of the time they’d been assembled there.

“Gentleman,” began a deep voice.

Jared bit down on his bottom lip and was _sure_ he heard Matt snicker.

“Welcome to the U.S. Army. This is _my_ base. I am responsible for every one of you.” The Lieutenant walked past Jared and it was close enough that the clean, fresh, scent of his fatigues wafted towards Jared’s nose. He inhaled deeply and tried to keep his eyes dead ahead of him.

“That means that if you fuck up, you come and see me,” Lieutenant. Morgan barked. “Do they want to come and see me, Sergeant Ackles?”

“They do not, Lieutenant,” D.S. Ackles answered.

Jared glanced over at the Drill Sergeant quickly and he was pretty sure the man was smirking.

“You do _not_ want to come and see me. Do _not_ fuck up while you are on my base. Do not embarrass D.S. Ackles. Do _not_ expect to be treated like a special snowflake. Here you are a cog in the machinery. You are only as good as the man next to you. So, you better hope that he’s not an idiot.”

The Lieutenant stopped in front of Jared and before he was even conscious of what he was doing, Jared looked into the man’s eyes.

Long, black lashes curved over Lieutenant Morgan’s dark eyes. They were kind eyes, mischievous, intelligent. For the briefest moment, the Lieutenant’s eyes widened then his expression darkened. “Did you actually just look at me?”

_Shit._

“I’m talking to _you_!” Lieutenant Morgan yelled into Jared’s face. “ _Did_ you just _look_ at me?”

“No, Si - Lieutenant,” Jared choked out.

“Are you actually going to lie to me now?”

“No, Lieutenant, not deliberately.”

Morgan stared at Jared for a few torturous seconds. “D.S. Ackles, who is this soldier?”

“Padalecki, Lieutenant.”

“That’s too long to remember. Where are you from?”

“Texas, Lieutenant.” Jared kept his eyes on the shoulder of D.S. Ackles’ uniform. There was _no_ way he wanted to get into any _more_ shit.

“Better,” Lieutenant Morgan barked. “Do not _ever_ look at me again? You got it, Texas?”

“Yes, Lieutenant.”

“Drop and give me fifty.”

“Yes, Lieutenant.” Jared dropped to the tarmac and bit off the groan that nearly escaped his lips. His arms shook as he lowered his nose to the ground; he’d already had an extensive lecture from the Drill Sergeant about the correct way to do a push-up.

Day three. _Fuck_.

~~~~~~~

Jared had lost track of what day it was. It was hardly the end of the first week and he was ready to admit defeat.

He sat down carefully on his bunk and began to examine the new bruises and scrapes the day had bestowed upon him.

There was a sigh and then the bunk shook as Matt rolled over. His muddy face peered down at Jared. “Can you have a stroke from too much exercise? I smell toast.”

If he had any energy at all, Jared probably would have laughed. “I’m pretty sure you can just smell yourself.”

“Maybe I’m dying for some other reason,” Matt muttered. “Lack of sex.”

“God. I don’t think I could get it up right now for anyone. Even my dick has bruises.” Jared wasn’t even joking. He’d sacked himself on a tree stump half way through the day. His balls were still throbbing.

“Bet you could for the right rank.” Matt grinned.

“Shhhh.” Jared smiled crookedly. “Don’t encourage me.”

Chuckling softly, Matt disappeared and the bunk shook again.

Jared had spent a lot of time thinking about his commanding officer. He liked to daydream about having met Morgan under completely different circumstances. In a different world, they could have met in the back room at a bar and tasted beer on each other’s lips. They might have met in an Austin Cafe and laughed as they got to know one another.

There were so many scenarios Jared could fantasize about but, the reality was, none of them were going to happen.

Jared groaned and closed his eyes. If he was lucky, he could get about three hours of sleep before getting up to shower and start the torture all over again.

~~~~~~~

“Get up!”

Jared sat up so quickly that his head slammed against the top bunk.

“I want all of you out front in five!” D.S. Ackles bellowed from the front door of the barracks.

“I _hate_ that guy,” Matt muttered as his bare legs swung down over the side of the top bunk.

By the time they were at the starting line of the obstacle course, Jared was _almost_ awake.

Scratching his head, Jared looked around. All the guys looked as though they were half-asleep. There were a few who were trying to stretch out their sore muscles in a valiant attempt to get through the course with a good time.

When Jared looked over at the D.S. he couldn't help standing a little straighter. Lieutenant Morgan was standing next to D.S. Ackles and they were chatting. Something that Ackles said made Lieutenant Morgan smile and Jared bit down on his bottom lip. His fantasies were accurate; Morgan looked even better when he was smiling. His teeth were white and straight and his eyes crinkled at the corners.

After a few moments, Lieutenant Morgan looked up and his gaze met Jared’s. Jared knew that he should look away but it was like he had no control over it.

They stared at one another and the intensity of Morgan’s gaze made Jared feel a little weak in the knees.

“You’re doing it again,” a voice whispered into Jared’s ear.

Jared jumped and ducked as though someone was taking a swing at him.

As soon as he heard laughter, he realized that it was Matt who was at his side. “Asshole. You scared the _shit_ outta me.”

“He was lookin’ back at you. I think you got busted, Bro.” Matt raised his eyebrows and walked away.

When Jared looked back over at Drill Sergeant Ackles, he was standing alone.

“Let’s go.” Matt slapped his hand against Jared’s back. “We’re up.”

They headed over to the starting line and Jared took a quick look around. He couldn’t see the first Lieutenant. It was probably just as well. If Jared was going to survive another run on the course he really needed to concentrate.

“Get ready!” D.S. Ackles yelled.

A gunshot sent Jared and Matt running full out towards the first obstacle. Even in the short time they’d been training, the obstacle course had become all too familiar.

They ran full out over some hilly ground, dropped to their knees to crawl through a metal culvert, sprang over six hurdles, each one lighter than the other.

Their runs weren’t very smooth. In fact, each of them had fallen, tripped, and slammed into hurdles. But, all they had to do was get through the damned course.

Jared hit the wall first. He’d never found much use for being six foot five before discovering the wall half way through the course. Jared paused long enough to ensure he would get a good run and then he bolted. Right at the bottom of the wall, Jared jumped. His fingers managed to hook over the top of the wall. His arms started to shake almost immediately and he growled loudly.

Slowly but surely, Jared managed to claw his way up the wall. He didn’t let himself relax at all until he had a leg slung over the wall. Panting, Jared lay there on top of the wall for a few seconds. He felt like he was draped over a clothes line.

As Jared took a few precious seconds of rest, he watched Matt take a run at the wall and miss the top by a few inches. “Come on, Dude! Just a bit more and you can do it!”

Still panting, Matt rested for a few moments and then took another run at the wall. Once more he fell short of being able to get a grip on it and ended up in a heap at the base of the wall.

“Matt, come _on_. You did it a couple of days back.” Jared shifted until he was sitting on the top of the wall.

“Jared, keep going. Don’t wait for me.” Matt wiped at his forehead and left a dirty smear on his brow.

“Get _off_ your ass and take another run at it.” Jared got a good grip on the wall and held his hand down for Matt. “Do it.”

Matt looked down. “You’ll lose time if you help me.”

“Who gives a shit. Get your _ass_ up and do it,” Jared barked.

After a few seconds, Matt climbed to his feet shakily and walked a few paces backward. He looked up at Jared briefly, nodded, then ran at the wall.

Matt managed to get far enough up the wall that Jared could grab his wrist. Grunting and groaning, Jared managed to haul Matt up to the top of the wall beside him.

Jared gripped Matt’s shoulder and squeezed quickly. “You good?”

“Yeah.” Matt nodded and wiped his face on the bottom of his army issue t-shirt. He flipped his leg over the wall and jumped down. “Let’s go.”

With a half-smile on his face, Jared rolled his shoulders. A movement off to the side of the track caught his eye and when he looked down he saw Lieutenant Morgan staring up at him.

Jared could _feel_ the heavy touch of Morgan’s gaze. He _wanted_ to look away, he knew that he should. And then the strangest thing happened. Jared was watching as Jeff gave the slightest nod. The corners of his mouth turned up into an almost imperceptible smile.

“C’mon, Jared!” Matt yelled.

Jared looked down and nodded at Matt. When he looked back to the side of the course, all he could see was the Lieutenant’s back as he marched away.

~~~~~~~

The days began to blur together. Everything Jared did became automatic. They got up before the sun, showered in less than two minutes, shoved food into their mouths then headed out to training.

If they were lucky, they were in a room somewhere learning about weapons, tactics, first aid or a million other things Jared wasn’t sure were even sticking in his memory.

If they were unlucky, they were out doing P.T. It could be running full out up a hillside with a forty-pound pack on their backs. Sometimes, Ackles ran them through a punishing calisthenics routine that always left them gasping for air. The obstacle course only continued to get longer and harder.

Most of the time, Jared didn’t have any idea what time it was. Half the time he didn’t even have the energy to care.

But, by the end of the second week, Jared was still alive and _still_ in basic training. There was one thing that hadn’t happened and that was any more sightings of the handsome, if off-limits, Lieutenant Morgan.

“Texas!” D.S. Ackles said firmly as he strode into the barracks.

The nap Jared had been on the verge of ended abruptly. He swung his legs out of the bunk and stood so quickly that he got a little light-headed. “Sergeant!”

“You’re on Charge of Quarters tonight,” D.S. Ackles said.

“Yes, Sergeant.” As far as Jared knew, Charge of Quarters was a rotating position that made him the Drill Sergeant’s errands boy for the night. It wasn’t what Jared had in mind for his few precious hours of free time. He supposed, however, it could be worse.

“Go straight to Lieutenant Morgan’s office in Block C. He wants to speak to you about your performance on the obstacle course.”

Jared could feel adrenaline bleed slowly into his veins. A private meeting with the Commander was _not_ was Jared wanted.

“Any questions?” The Drill Sergeant asked.

“No, Sergeant.” Jared knew better than to ask questions. He was pretty sure that Ackles had it in for him. He always seemed to get the brunt of any mistakes made by the unit.

“Be there by 1900 hours.”

Jared watched as the D.S. marched out of the barracks. As soon as the door slammed shut behind Ackles, Matt smacked the back of Jared’s head. “What did you do now?”

“Do? Nothing!” Jared exclaimed. For once, it was true. The only thing he could even remember was Morgan watching him help Matt up the wall on the obstacle course.

“Well, good luck, Jared,” Matt said before letting out a dry laugh. “Just _watch_ yourself.”

 _Watch himself_? Jesus. The night was _not_ going to end well; Jared already knew that. “Not funny at all.”

Matt laughed even harder and the bunk shook.

~~~~~~~

Block C was one of the biggest buildings on the base. It wasn’t all that difficult to find the first Lieutenant's office. It was on the top floor, and there were signs posted all over the walls on the way there.

Except for some cleaning staff, there was no one else in the building. It was almost eerie the way the sound of Jared’s boots echoed around the halls.

When he finally reached the door to the Commanding Officer’s reception area, Jared took a few moments to straighten his uniform. He’d thrown some water on his face and hair, changed into a clean t-shirt and khakis and that was the best he could do.

“It’s not a fucking date,” Jared murmured as he passed the empty receptionist’s desk. His rubbed his short-cropped hair and then knocked on the main office door.

“Enter,” called out a gruff voice from within.

Jared pulled the door open and peered into the Lieutenant’s office. “Padalecki reporting as requested, Lieutenant,” Jared said as firmly as he could manage.

Lieutenant Morgan was quiet for a few uncomfortable moments and then he nodded. “Come in, Texas.”

Jared marched into the room and halted, stood at attention, and saluted.

“At ease, Soldier,” the Lieutenant said casually. He pushed some papers aside and slipped a photo into a manila folder before settling back in his chair.

Jared clasped his hands behind his back as his feet snapped out to shoulder-width-apart. It was a slightly more comfortable position than attention, but Jared could still feel his muscles shaking slightly. It had already been a _very_ long day.

“How are things going?” Lieutenant Morgan asked quietly.

“Well, Lieutenant,” Jared answered quickly.

“Are you having any issues settling in here?” When the lieutenant looked up his warm gaze found Jared’s quickly.

Blinking a few times, Jared whipped his gaze down to the desk. “Everything is fine, Lieutenant.”

There was silence in the office for a while and Jared could feel sweat beginning to trickle down between his shoulder blades.

The chair squeaked a little when the Lieutenant pushed it back so he could stand. He paced around the desk and circled behind Jared. When his footfalls stopped, Jared shivered slightly.

When Morgan spoke again, he was still standing behind Jared. “You sure you’re not having any problems?”

The dark tone of the voice sent heat gliding down Jared’s skin. He concentrated on his breathing and tried to keep it slow and steady. “Permission to speak freely, Lieutenant.”

There was another uncomfortable silence and then Morgan walked around to stand beside Jared. “Please do.”

There was a huge ball of anxiety in Jared’s throat and he had to swallow a couple of times before he was confident he could speak. “Lieutenant, have I … have I done something wrong?”

The Lieutenant laughed and the low rumble of it made Jared’s cock twitch. Oh, he’d fantasized about how that laugh would sound but he hadn’t done it justice at all. The low timbre of Morgan’s voice, combined with the low gravelly laugh nearly turned Jared inside out.

There was something about the Lieutenant that was incredibly hot: it wasn’t just the way he looked, it was _so_ much more than that. He held himself with a heady confidence. He looked completely relaxed, fearless and content all at the same time.

The Lieutenant stepped a little closer to Jared. “You haven’t done anything wrong yet, but I’m _quite_ sure you could with the right influence.”

It was _not_ what Jared had expected and the sound of that voice so close to his ear made Jared’s legs a little shaky. “Lieutenant?”

“Yes, Jared.”

Another wave of heat slashed across Jared’s body. “I’m not sure I understand.”

The Lieutenant’s finger settled on the side of Jared’s chin and applied gentle pressure until Jared had no choice but to turn and look at him directly.

Those big brown eyes were dark and dangerous and Jared felt like they could see everything he was thinking.

“I think you understand perfectly but you’re welcome to take some time to think about it,” Morgan said in a low voice. “Dismissed.”

Jared snapped to attention and then hurried towards the door.

“Oh, Texas!”

“Lieutenant?” Jared stopped so suddenly he almost fell over.

“Good work on the obstacle course. Cohen comes from a good family. His brother came through here.”

The Lieutenant was already looking back down at the mound of paper on his desk as he stood there with his back to the door.

“Thank you, Lieutenant.”

When the Lieutenant said nothing further, Jared headed out quickly. He made it outside as fast as he could and then double-timed it back to the barracks.

~~~~~~~

If it wasn’t for the fact that Jared had Matt to speak to, he was sure that he would go crazy.

It was a couple of hellish days before Jared felt like he would bust something if he didn’t talk about what happened in the Lieutenant’s office.

Of course, Matt was amused. The more discomfort Jared was in, the more amused Matt seemed to be. If it wasn’t for Matt’s wide grin and warm hugs, Jared would probably want to punch him.

But, Matt had listened to Jared’s confused ramble about Lieutenant Morgan and Jared’s conclusion that it was flirting.

Matt downplayed the whole event though. He was less inclined to agree that it was flirting and more inclined to believe it was Jared’s overactive imagination.

Jared wasn’t convinced. There was another very valid point that Matt made and that was that whatever Morgan was up to? It meant trouble for Jared.

Trouble was something that Jared didn’t need more of. Ever since the night D.S. Ackles had sent Jared to see Lieutenant Morgan things had _not_ been smooth sailing.

The Drill Sergeant seemed to have a burr under his saddle when it came to Jared. He was always the first one to be assigned pushups when something went wrong. If Ackles felt the need to communicate _anything_ to Jared it would be screamed in his face. He was assigned all the worst duties and chores. After a while, even Matt had begun to feel sorry for Jared.

It sucked.

Finally, near the weekend, D.S. Ackles visited the barracks again. He stopped at the bottom of Jared and Matt’s bunk and waited there as everyone in the barracks raced to attention.

Ackles began to hand out orders to people and they were dismissed immediately. The closer it got to Jared’s turn, the more anxious he became.

When Jared was the last one left unassigned, D.S. Ackles strode right up to him. He was so close when he stopped that Jared could feel the Drill Sergeant’s breath on his jaw. His nerves were rattled, the Drill Sergeant had _certainly_ accomplished that. Jared was a cat on a hot tin roof around Ackles. He was always waiting for a new punishment.

“You,” D.S. Ackles said in a clipped tone. “The Lieutenant wants to see you. He needs help with some paperwork; his assistant has been away sick.”

“Yes, Sergeant,” Jared answered immediately.

Ackles’ green eyes bored into Jared’s for a while then he turned and left the barracks.

Jared blew out a long sigh. He’d never had more mixed feelings about anything in his life.

~~~~~~~

Block C was practically deserted once more when Jared arrived. He walked the familiar halls to the Lieutenant's office slowly, trying to get his shit together.

His plan of attack was to go in looking as confident as he could. He figured the less intimidated he was, the better everything would be for him.

After a final deep breath, Jared knocked on the Lieutenant’s door softly, half hoping that there would be no answer.

“Enter.”

As soon as Jared heard the Lieutenant’s deep, raspy voice, he knew he was fucked. All his cocky plans flew right out the window.

He cleared his throat and pushed the office door open.

“Ah, Jared. Nice to see you,” Morgan said. He smiled politely and gestured for Jared to come in. “Relax. Have a seat.”

 _Relax_. Jared knew what relaxing used to mean but he wasn’t sure what that meant around the Commanding Officer of a base.

He walked over to the chair in front of Lieutenant Morgan’s desk and sat down.

“Have a good day?” Morgan signed the bottom of a per and moved it to another pile.

“Yes, Lieutenant.”

Lieutenant Morgan sighed and sat back in his chair looking a little frustrated. “Listen, we’ve got quite a bit of stuff to do here tonight. It will go a hell of a lot faster if you speak freely.”

It seemed like one of those things that could bite Jared in the ass if he took advantage of it. But then, the Lieutenant seemed like the type of man who was used to people obeying him. Jared couldn’t even lie to himself; there was something incredibly hot about that kind of power. Jared clasped his hands together tightly and settled them in his lap. “D.S. Ackles said that you had some work for me to do.”

“Yes,” the Lieutenant said firmly. He leaned forward and took off his reading glasses then set them on one of the many piles of paper on the desk. “I’m signing all these damned letters. I got behind on everything. A lot of it is simply replies, form letters, you know the kind. Some of it is important. It’s all confidential. You understand that?”

“Yes, Lieutenant.” Jared tilted his head slightly and looked at the desk. There really was a lot of paper sitting there.

“I’ll sign, you fold and stuff. Good?”

Jared nodded. “Yes, Lieutenant.”

The Lieutenant stood, stretched, and then placed over to the door. He hesitated a moment and then pushed the door shut slowly and deliberately. As soon as it clicked shut, he turned back to Jared. “Call me Jeff when the door is closed.”

“Lieutenant?” Things were really starting to feel a little like Jared was being set up to fail. Jared was already having a daily battle with D.S. Ackles, he didn’t need the Lieutenant setting him up as well.

“Okay, soldier, that’s an order.” The Lieutenant walked back over to his chair and sat down. “In here, with the door closed, you call me Jeff. I’ll call you Jared. It’s not optional. If it makes you uncomfortable; tough.”

“Okay … Jeff.” Jared couldn’t help flinching slightly. If D.S. Ackles had sprung out from behind a wall and screamed at him to start doing about 100 pushups, Jared would _not_ have been surprised. He looked around the office and then back at the Lieutenant. Slowly, he tore his gaze away from the Lieutenant’s face and looked at the stack of signed papers. “I should start with this pile?”

Finally, a smile appeared on the Lieutenant’s face. “Yeah, that’d be great. Kim’s been away for two weeks now. Surgery on her back. Don’t _ever_ take administrative people for granted, Jared. They keep damn near everything running.”

Jared pulled his chair closer to the front of the desk and slid the pile of signed letters closer. He picked up the first one, folded it a couple of times and slid it into one of the blank envelopes off to the side. The silence continued and Jared shifted a little on the chair. He cleared his throat.

“Need some water?”

“No, thanks.”

“I could use a cup of coffee,” the Lieutenant said.

Jared shot up out of the chair. “I can get you a coffee.”

With a bemused smile on his face, Morgan nodded. “There’s one of those fancy machines in the reception area. Get one for yourself too if you want.”

Jared hurried out of the office and closed the door behind him. It took him a few moments to catch his breath and then he looked around for the coffee pot. As soon as he spotted it, he rushed over and turned the machine on.

“Jesus,” he whispered as he chose a pod of coffee and fumbled with it until he got it into what looked like the appropriate receptacle. As the coffee poured slowly into the mug, Jared bit down on his bottom lip.

 _Jeff_. Just call him, _Jeff_. Jared couldn't’ believe what was happening. Clearly, there was more going on than _just_ paperwork. Jared’s radar couldn’t be _that_ far off. He’d had men hit on him before, and some of them had been damned subtle. But, being in the Lieutenant's office, alone, calling him Jeff … that all hinted at much more than a normal army relationship between a soldier and his Commanding Officer.

When he had finally made two coffees, Jared put some cream and sugar in his and took them back to the door. He managed to get the door open without spilling anything and nudged it open the rest of the way with his hip.

“You’re a savior, Jared,” Morgan said as he pushed a pile of papers to one side to make room for his mug. “I’ve been here since 0600. An early start.”

Jared put both mugs down and walked around the desk to sit back down. The coffee smelled good. He hadn’t smelled freshly brewed coffee since he’d arrived at the base. It was one of the things he was looking forward to having when and if he ever got a weekend pass.

He couldn’t help studying the Lieutenant’s face while he was looking down at the letter he was reading. He was as attractive as ever, not that it was surprising. Without his beret, Jared could see that he had thick, black hair, a little longer than the buzz cuts the soldiers were subjected to. Feeling a little self-conscious, Jared rubbed his hand back and forth over his short hair.

“Uncomfortable?” The Lieutenant asked without even looking up.

“No - Lieu- Jeff. I’m just used to having longer hair.” Jared went back to folding letters and tried not to look up.

“Good choice,” Morgan said as he slid another letter to Jared’s pile.

“Thank you,” Jared answered. What was he supposed to say? I hope you’d hit on me if you’d seen me with my long hair, in my favorite jeans and shirt? No. Matt was right. Jared had to make sure his fantasy didn’t carry him away and get him in trouble.

Concentrating on folding and stuffing letters, Jared hunched over the desk. He tried to distract himself by running over some of the training in his head. He thought about the M16A4 Rifle they’d been introduced to that week. He tried to keep listing off the parts of it when it was field stripped: charging handle, sling, handguard, bugger assembly with spring, bolt carrier, bolt cam pin, extractor pin, firing pin, firing pin retaining pin, extractor, extractor pin. He folded more papers and ran through the process of putting the rifle back together again. Jared slipped the letter into the envelopes. Core values. He could run over the core values: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless-service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. He’d been trying hard to memorize them all because D.S. Ackles seemed to like surprising them by calling out for definitions randomly in the middle of sets of push-ups or half way up a wall.

As soon as Jared thought of his Drill Sergeant, the ache in his shoulders flared and he sat back slightly. He rolled his shoulders and tried to shake off the burn of overused muscles.

“You sore?” Morgan asked.

“Yes. It’s. It’s the obstacle course. And probably the push-ups. I seem to get in trouble a lot,” Jared said quietly. He folded another letter before looking up at the Lieutenant.

“I remember it well, I’m afraid. It’s hard work but it pays off.” Morgan leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms up before tucking them behind his head. “If I recollect correctly, you want to continue into engineering.”

Nodding, Jared kept his gaze on the letter he was folding. “It seemed like a good choice.”

“I’m sure it is, you’re an intelligent young man,” Morgan said confidently.

“I am?” Jared looked up when Morgan laughed. “I mean, why do you say that?”

When he finally stopped chuckling, Morgan just grinned. “I read all the files of the men who come to my base.”

Of course, he did. That would be part of his job. Jared smiled weakly but before he could look back down at the desk, his eyes caught sight of Morgan’s shirt stretched across his broad, muscular chest. There was a white undershirt just visible at the opened collar and Jared could see wisps of dark chest hair escaping. He swallowed and looked away so quickly the muscles in his neck cramped. Jared rubbed at his neck and sighed.

“You hurt yourself today?”

“I don’t know. It keeps cramping. Guess I’m just not used to all this physical activity. Before? The most active thing I did was bring in the groceries.” Without even thinking, Jared smiled and looked up at Morgan.

The warmth on Morgan’s face melted Jared’s resolve and he couldn’t help staring for a while.

Finally, Morgan pushed his chair back and stood. He tugged his shirt back into place and then walked around the desk to stand behind Jared. “I remember when I was in Training, the very first pass I got to leave the base I went straight to a massage therapist.”

A little nervous that Morgan was out of sight, Jared went back to folding.

“All the other guys were heading to bars and girlfriend’s places, wives, but me? Massage therapist. There wasn’t a muscle in my body that didn’t hurt like a son of a bitch,” said the Lieutenant's low voice.

Fingers settled on either side of Jared’s neck and he jumped slightly.

“Relax, soldier. You’re _very_ high strung.” The fingers were rough and grazed over Jared’s skin as they spread apart to slide down the sides of his neck then press into his muscles. Jared felt relief almost immediately. The pleasurably painful push of Morgan’s strong fingers into Jared’s abused muscles felt like heaven. Goosebumps skittered down his chest and arms and he couldn’t help shivering slightly. His fingers suddenly felt too big and clumsy and the letter he was trying to fold fluttered down to the desk.

“Feel good?” Morgan asked.

The Lieutenant’s strong fingers worked at the knots in Jared’s shoulders. 

He closed his eyes and felt his shoulder begin to relax even though he didn’t want them to. It was all kinds of wrong; an invitation to a big mess.

“Thanks, it does,” Jared said shakily. He pulled away from Jeff’s hands. “That’s good, though.”

“Not enjoying it?” Morgan managed to sound a little disappointed.

“Yes. No. I mean…” Jared gave up and stood slowly. He found himself face to face with his commanding officer.

“That wasn't the clearest answer,” Morgan said in a gravelly voice. He leaned in slowly and pressed his lips to the sensitive skin right in front of Jared’s ear. “I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable.”

That voice would _end_ Jared soon; he was certain of it. “I. I. It’s not that I-”

The Lieutenant’s hand found its way to Jared’s hip, the thumb dug in so hard that Jared figured he would have a bruise later. “I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

Everything was suddenly too overwhelming. The grip Jeff had on him was making the itch of pleasure begin to creep down the furrow of Jared’s spine. He could smell the coffee on Morgan’s breath; the clean scent from his uniform. “I should go.”

Jared squeezed between Morgan and the desk and bottled for the door. He didn’t stop running until he was halfway back to the barracks.

~~~~~~~

About the time that Jared had his nose pressed into the mud for the forty-seventh time, he was wondering what he had done to piss off Drill Sergeant Ackles.

They’d been _finally_ working on actually firing their rifles. Jared had been doing pretty well, then he’d made the mistake of making a joke while the Drill Sergeant was right behind him.

D.S. Ackles had ordered Jared to give him twenty pushups. He wanted them done right in the muddiest part of the rifle range. It really didn’t seem fair. There had been lots of people making jokes, but Jared was the only one who was singled out.

Jared made it a total of twenty-six hours before he next found himself in trouble. Overtired and a little distracted, he had neglected to close the padlock on his footlocker. When the D.S. had arrived to inspect the barracks, he had gone ballistic.

The D.S. had yelled and ranted, prodded his finger into Jared’s chest, hollered so closely to Jared’s face that all he could smell was his breath.

The tirade had gone on for so long that Jared had lost track of time. But, the D.S.’s final words were like a nail pounded _straight_ into Jared’s forehead.

“Leave is canceled this weekend and you can all thank Texas for that. The chain is only as strong as the weakest link and it’s right here.” D.S. Ackles stabbed his finger right into Jared’s sternum. He glared at Jared for an uncomfortably long time and then finally looked away. “Dismissed.”

The _moment_ the door closed behind the Drill Sergeant, the room exploded.

“Fuck you, Tex,” spat Pellegrino.

There was a chorus of insults and protests and then Jared was hit in the face with a pair of dirty shorts.

“Gross,” Jared muttered as he swatted them away.

Matt patted Jared on the back. “Dude, I don’t know what you’ve done to Ackles but you better figure it out. Your life expectancy is dropping.”

“Tell me about it,” Jared muttered. The problem was that he didn’t feel as though he'd done anything wrong. Okay, he made mistakes, but they were no worse than anyone else’s. He wasn’t feeling sorry for himself; the Drill Sergeant was leaning heavily on him and Jared had no idea why.

Matt hopped up onto his bunk and groaned as he laid down. “Maybe he likes you.”

Jared choked on his own spit.

Matt laughed.

“Dude, that is _really_ not funny.” Jared shuddered.

Still grinning, Matt rolled onto his side and tucked his arm under his head. “I’ve seen it. You know when kids like each other but they're too embarrassed to show it? So, they punch each other and pull each other’s hair.”

“Did you find a way to get drunk without telling me?”

Matt dissolved into a fit of laughter and flopped down on his back. “You better figure it out or Ackles is gonna end up killing you.”

Jared’s smile faded. He wasn’t sure how much more he could take but he had a feeling that his Drill Sergeant was going to help him find his limit.

~~~~~~~

It turned out that Jared found his limit in two days, ten hours and about twenty minutes.

The day was a blur. Jared spent most of it doing push-ups, a lot of it cleaning and _way_ too much time being yelled at.

The last straw was when D.S. Ackles upturned Jared’s foot locker and then gave him shit because of the mess. He canceled Jared’s leave and made him spend yet another weekend cleaning.

Jared was on his hands and knees polishing the brass lines between the floor tiles in the bathroom when the Drill Sergeant came to check on him later that day.

“You haven’t made much progress, Texas.”

Jared wanted to tell the D.S. to go fuck himself. “No, Sergeant.”

“You have a long, lonely night ahead of you.”

“Yes, Sergeant.” Jared kept his eyes on the floor and refused to give the D.S. yet another reason to punish him.

“Were you looking forward to going home and seeing your _boyfriend_ this weekend?”

Before he could stop himself, Jared looked up.

There was a cold smile on Ackles’ face. He looked very pleased with himself and raised an eyebrow when Jared’s gaze met his. “You have a problem, Padalecki?”

A problem? Absolutely. Jared was beginning to think that Matt was right about Ackles blacklisting people who were gay. It didn’t matter one damn bit that Ackles didn’t have proof, or that the army had an _inclusive_ policy. None of that mattered because Ackles would make every moment of Jared’s training a living hell.

There was no way Jared was going to put up with it.

“I’m talking to _you_ , Soldier!” D.S. Ackles took a step closer and squared his shoulders.

“I want to see the Base Commander,” Jared said quietly.

“What?” I can’t _hear_ you.”

“I’m done,” Jared said more firmly. “I want to see the Lieutenant.” Jared took a deep breath and then sighed. “Sergeant.”

The D.S.’s gaze narrowed and he stepped back. “He’s in his office. Don’t let me keep you.” The pleased expression on his face had become smug and Jared wanted to smack it right off him.

He set the brush down next to the polish and stood slowly. His knees were sore and he back was aching and he was exhausted. The last thing he wanted to do was go to the Lieutenant but he just didn’t have any energy left for another moment of basic training.

“Get _out_ of my sight,” Ackles growled.

~~~~~~~

Jared made it to Block C in record time. All the frustration and anger that had built up inside him was bubbling over by the time he arrived at the Lieutenant’s door.

He didn’t bother knocking, just threw the door open and strode into the huge office. “I give up.”

The glass Lieutenant Morgan was holding paused halfway to his mouth. “Come in.”

Jared threw his arms up in the air. “Look. I’m _sorry_. But I can’t take it anymore. Ackles has been on my ass almost the entire time I’ve been here. It started getting worse when I first came to see you. I’m done; I want out. I give up. I don’t have the patience or the energy for this.” By the time Jared stopped speaking, he was panting.

Lieutenant Morgan set his glass down on the desk and stood slowly. He walked over to his office door and closed it then returned to his chair. He slid the glass towards Jared. “Sounds like you need this more than me.”

Jared didn’t need a drink. He needed to get away from Ackles, sleep for a week and forget about how miserable basic training was.

“Jared?” The Lieutenant raised his eyebrows. “Have a seat, please.”

Jared sank down into the chair in relief. His legs were aching and his head hurt.

“Let’s start from the beginning, shall we?” Jeff nudged the drink closer to Jared again. “What happened?”

“I want out,” Jared said. His fingers curled around the glass and he downed it. The burn of good whisky surprised Jared and he coughed.

“Out of what?”

“I want to go home. I don’t belong here.”

Morgan became _all-business_ and he leaned forwards. “That’s a pretty serious decision. May I ask why?”

Part of Jared wanted to blurt out everything, but he didn't want to be _that_ guy. “I … I just need to get out of here. I don’t fit in.”

The Lieutenant’s brow furrowed and he shook his head in confusion. “That’s not much of a reason, Jared. There must be some substance to your request. If we sent home everyone who was unhappy here, the place would be a ghost town.”

“I can’t do it,” Jared said weakly.

“You’ve been doing really well. You’re in the top five of your unit.”

“Then I don’t want to do it,” Jared argued. He knew exactly where the Base Commander was coming from but Jared didn’t have any convenient excuses.

“What’s _really_ going on?”

Jared was determined not to answer until he looked up and saw the warmth in the Lieutenant’s gaze. Jared sighed. “I think. It’s D.S. Ackles.”

“He’s a hard-ass. Talented guy.”

“Yeah. Well, I also think he’s homophobic,” Jared said before he even thought about it.

“What?!” The Lieutenant sat up straighter and narrowed his gaze.

“He knows. I think - that’s why he treats me like shit. He’s been trying to get me to quit, assigning me the worse details every day, not letting me get any sleep.

The Lieutenant held his hands up. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. He’s _not_ homophobic.”

“He’s an asshole!” Jared said a little too loudly. He huffed and shrugged his shoulders as he set the empty glass down.

There were about ten seconds of silence and then Morgan began to laugh.

Jared wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or angry. The problem was that he was too exhausted to try and figure it out so he dropped his head into his hands.

“Hey.” The Lieutenant’s chair creaked and then Jared felt a warm hand, heavy on his shoulder.

When he looked up, Morgan was sitting on the edge of his desk. “He’s _not_ homophobic. But, I’ll give you that he can be an asshole on occasion.” The smile on Jeff’s face was fond and Jared couldn’t help recoiling slightly.

“I don’t understand then. Since the first time I came here, he’s been treating me like hell,” Jared protested.

Jeff’s hand slid off Jared’s shoulder. He sat back and clasped his hands together. “Ah. Well, that’s probably because of me.”

“What?” Jared stood so quickly the chair behind him almost tipped over.

Jeff grabbed Jared’s arms and held him still with ease. “Listen to me before you fly off the handle.” He raised his eyebrows and stared at Jared as though waiting for a response.

After a while, Jared nodded and sank back down into the chair.

The Lieutenant took a deep breath and ran his hand back and forth over his hair a few times. “Jen and I have been friends for years. He _knows_ I’m gay, Jared. And he _certainly_ doesn’t have a problem with it.”

Jared stared _hard_ into Jeff’s eyes and saw nothing that led him to believe that the man was being dishonest. “So, why me?”

“Well,” Jeff began, “that’s probably because I told him about my interest in you.”

“Oh.” There wasn’t much else that Jared could say. Obviously, the Lieutenant would know if the D.S. was treating Jared badly because he was homophobic. Hell, the fact that the Drill Sergeant knew about Morgan’s interested in him was _more_ than enough to make Jared’s cheeks turn pink. “God.”

Jeff leaned back slightly. “He was pissed at me. He said that I shouldn’t be taking a risk like that. Perceived power and all that.”

When Jared had received all the original papers from the Army, he’d read about the policies on sexual harassment and Jeff was clearly in a tenuous position. “I wouldn't file a complaint if that’s what you guys are worried about.”

“ _I’m_ not worried about anything. Jared, in all the years I’ve done this job, I’ve never done this before. There’s just something about you. Your eyes, the way they are all different colors, the dimples you get when you smile at Cohen, I just want a chance to get to know you. I am _aware_ this is inappropriate. I don’t care. Jensen, though, bless his soul, he’s just looking out for me.”

Because he couldn’t figure out what else to do, Jared nodded.

The Lieutenant rubbed at the stubble on his chin. “I’ll get Ackles to lay off. Don’t let this ruin your chances here. You’re doing well.”

If Jared were a betting man, he’d put money on the fact that Jeff was a little sad. He had no idea why, but he didn’t like the way it made him feel. He much preferred to see the Lieutenant’s warm smile. “I’m sorry. I - I’m really tired.”

“No harm done,” Morgan said quickly. He dropped his gaze and clasped his hands together. “I apologize for this, Jared. I hadn’t intended to make you feel uncomfortable. Well, not in a bad way.” Morgan smiled slightly and looked up briefly before dropping his gaze again.

Jared’s shoulders slumped and he leaned forwards a little. “You didn’t,” he said softly. “Not in a bad way.”

Morgan’s gaze moved up again. “Good.”

After a few moments, Jared smiled. “Want to know something?”

“Sure, why not?” Jeff’s smile grew a little as he shrugged.

“Matt ... Cohen. He figured out I was gay just because of the way I looked at you.” Heat crept up Jared’s neck and started a slow burn on his cheeks.

Morgan tilted his head slightly and grinned. “I like that.”

That grin could get Jared into a lot of trouble. Morgan’s entire face lit up when he was happy. His eyes brightened, and the adorable wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes. Definitely, a source of potential trouble for Jared.

“I guess I should go and - shit - I need to apologize to Ack - D.S. Ackles.” Now that Jared’s brain was catching up he remembered how angry Ackles had been at him.

“I’ll talk to Jensen. Don’t worry about that,” Morgan said quickly. “He’ll still be hard on you; he’s hard on everyone. But it’ll be fine.”

Jared nodded then felt as though he should probably leave. “Okay. Then.”

When Jared stood, he smiled at the Lieutenant for a few moments then moved to walk past him.

Morgan’s fingers hooked Jared’s as he took a step forwards. “You don’t have to go just yet.”

“No?” Jared’s heart had begun pounding against his rib cage.

“I mean - if this isn’t unwanted attention,” Morgan said in a rough voice.

Jared shook his head. “It’s not … unwanted.” It felt a bit surreal to be speaking to the Lieutenant so casually. Combined with the exhaustion, the thrill that was skittering through Jared’s body made him feel a little light-headed.

Morgan tugged on Jared’s hand until he had no choice but to step closer. As soon as he was within range, Morgan slid his arm around Jared's waist and pulled him flush to his body. “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time.”

Morgan leaned in and caught Jared’s lips with his own. His full, bottom lip trailed over both of Jared’s. He moaned softly and then crushed their mouths together.

The kiss made Jared’s skin catch fire. Oh, he’d daydreamed about kissing Morgan but he hadn’t gotten it right at all. Jeff’s lips were soft, his stubble rough, and his tongue slid forward to claim Jared’s mouth insistently. _Want_ raced through Jared’s body and his hands found their way to Morgan’s firm shoulders.

Morgan tilted his head slightly and ran his tongue along the edge of Jared’s teeth before pulling back slightly. He rested his forehead against Jared’s and blew out a breath. “ _That_ was worth waitin’ for.”

If he could breathe, Jared would agree. He settled for nodding slightly.

“You need sleep,” Morgan said against Jared’s lips. He pressed an almost chaste kiss on Jared’s mouth and sat back.

“I do,” Jared managed to say. His head was spinning, but the idea of bed was very appealing.

“Come and see me Monday night. Because you want to, not because I’m your Commanding Officer,” Morgan said in a low voice.

“I will,” Jared answered easily. His skin was tingling under his shirt where he could feel the heat of Morgan’s hands.

“I’ll talk to Jen. Have him send you over.” Morgan leaned in quickly and mouthed the hard line of Jared’s jaw.

Jared’s knees felt weak and he slid his arms over Morgan’s shoulders to hold himself up. “God.”

That low rumble of a laugh went straight to Jared’s cock and he sucked in a quick breath of air.

“You better leave now, or I won’t let you to,” Morgan murmured against Jared’s neck.

“Uh huh.” Moving away from Morgan was nearly impossible. Finally, though, Jared leaned back slightly and managed to step out of the Lieutenant’s hold.

“Sleep well, Jared.” Morgan smiled and ran his tongue over his bottom lip.

Nodding, Jared took a couple of steps backward before turning towards the door. “Goodnight, Lieu - Jeff.” He liked the way the name felt on his tongue. _Jeff._

When he finally tore his gaze away from Jeff’s, Jared headed through the door. He felt exhausted and elated at the same time and it was a strange combination.

The cool night air revived him slightly but he was glad when he made it back to the empty barracks.

He stripped quickly and crawled into bed with a dazed smile on his face. _Jeff._ The evening had certainly ended on a far better note than it had begun.

~~~~~~~

“He … you what?” Matt slid down off the top bunk and dragged Jared down to sit beside him on the bottom one.

“I just _made_ my bed,” Jared protested.

“Don’t change the subject,” Matt countered. “When did this happen?”

“Friday night after you all left,” Jared answered. “I went there to tell him I quit -”

“- Asshole! You can’t leave me here!” Matt slammed his fist into Jared’s shoulder.

“Relax, Dude. I didn’t. He talked me down. Turns out things aren’t as bad as I thought.” Jared grinned.

“No shit, you smug son of a bitch,” Matt teased. He still looked a bit surprised.

“He said he’s gonna get Ackles to send me over tomorrow night to see him.”

“I’m _so_ jealous.” Matt punched Jared again.

“Stop hitting me and _what_ are you jealous of?” Jared couldn’t help laughing.

“Sex, brother. _You_ get to have sex.” Matt wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and grinned.

“What are you, twelve?” But Jared couldn’t help but grin.

“Not twelve, just a healthy, single male,” Matt said wistfully.

Jared laughed and slapped his hand on Matt’s thigh. “Dude, I think I’ve earned some fun.”

“You probably have. Just don’t get in any more trouble,” Matt said. “We better sleep. We’re gonna get our asses handed to us tomorrow and _you_ gotta look pretty for your date.”

Matt stood and climbed up onto his own bunk.

“Lights out in five!” A voice called out.

Jared slipped under his sheets and got comfortable. His heart felt a little fluttery and he wasn’t sure whether that was because of the upcoming day of P.T. or because of his meeting with Jeff.

_Jeff._

It was getting much easier to think of the Lieutenant as _Jeff_. Jared decided that he could get used to it.

~~~~~~~

Jared was ripped from an enjoyable dream at 0400 hours. Everything had become automatic. He was dressed and lacing his boots before he was even fully awake.

The squad ran two miles and did a hundred pushups before breakfast. Just an average day in basic training.

Breakfast was scrambled egg and bacon. Jared ate as much as he could of both. When D.S. Ackles walked past their table he gave Jared a pointed look. Matt barely managed to contain his laughter until Ackles was out of earshot.

Their pre-lunch P.T. session was carrying sixty pound packs up a hill at a quick march. It was surprising how much they had all improved in such a short time. For the first time since they’d begun their training, no one coughed until they threw up on the way up the hill.

While Matt and Jared ate pasta stuffed with mystery meat at lunch, they listened to Pellegrino tell stories about the time he had spent with his dogs on the weekend. It was all a little disturbing.

The obstacle course filled their afternoon. Matt and Jared both ran well. In fact, everyone had improved their time so much that Ackles was pleased to announce that there was time for everyone to do a second run of the course.

By the time the afternoon was finished, Jared was starving. He and Matt had a quick dinner at the mess hall before heading back to the barracks so Jared could shower.

Matt teased Jared a _great_ deal about wanting to smell good for his date. Jared kept shushing his friend, but the was glad Matt was there to distract him.

The butterflies didn’t take flight in Jared’s stomach until he was on his way up the stairs in Block C.

He paused outside Jeff’s door and straightened his fatigues. Jeff may want an informal relationship with Jared but that didn’t mean he couldn’t try and impress the Lieutenant. It couldn’t hurt.

When he knocked on the door there was silence for a few seconds, then he heard the familiar rumble of Jeff’s voice. “Enter.”

Jared took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The office was more dimly lit than usual, illuminated only by the small lamp on Morgan’s desk.

Jared closed the door behind him and lingered nervously.

“Hi, Jared. Have a seat.” Morgan gestured to the chair opposite his desk.

It felt a little as though things were going to be more formal than Jared had expected. Even though he knew it wasn’t possible he began to think he might have read more into Jeff’s invitation than he should have.

But, there had been the kiss. Jared rubbed at his jaw because he could feel the lingering host of Morgan’s stubble.

“I’ll be with you in a moment. Just finishing a report.” Morgan slipped some square framed, dark glasses on and looked back at his laptop screen.

The glasses were nice. Jared bit down on the smile that threatened and looked away.

He’d never really noticed how tidy the office was. There were several certificates on the wall, ranks that had been achieved, various certifications.

 _First Lieutenant Jeffrey Dean Morgan_ Jared liked the full name; it suited his Commanding Officer.

“I’m supposed to display those,” Morgan muttered.

“What?” Jared pulled his cap off and set it on the edge of the desk.

“Feels like bragging to me, but we’re told to display them because it inspires confidence and makes us appear more professional.”

Jared nodded and clasped his fingers together in his lap. “I think you seem very professional without them.”

“You’re biased.” Jeff smiled as he tapped a few keys then sat back. The light from the screen dimmed and Jeff sat back and took his glasses off. He pressed his thumb and forefinger into his eyes.

“Long day?”

“Every day is a long day, Jared. _Every_ one.” Jeff sighed.

“Don’t enjoy your work?” For some reason, Jared had assumed that someone with Jeff’s rank would be in it hook, line and sinker.

“I used to enjoy doin’ Jensen’s job a lot more. Workin’ with the men instead of shufflin’ papers.” Morgan smiled, stood, and walked over to a small wooden drop down bar. “Drink?”

“Sure, whatever you're having. Can’t you just get a job doing what you want?” Jared glanced over at Jeff and smiled at how perfectly his fatigues fit his ass.

“Army doesn't work like that. You’re going on to the engineering Corps, yeah?”

“Yes, Lieutenant.”

Jeff turned around with two glasses and staggered as though he’d been shot. “It hurts me when you don’t call me Jeff.”

Jared chuckled and reached out for one of the glasses. “I’d like to be an engineer, _Jeff._ ”

“I enjoy the company of well-educated men,” Jeff said as he sat on the edge of his desk. He took a sip of his drink and looked pointedly at Jared.

There was sweat dampening the small of Jared’s back. “Is it hot in here?”

“It sure is.” Jeff rested a booted foot on the chair between Jared’s legs.

“Just so we’re clear.” Jeff leaned forward and traced Jared’s bottom lip with his fingertip. “I’m not giving you any special treatment because of … us. No favors.”

Nodding, Jared set his drink on his thigh when he realized his hand was trembling. _Us_. “I don’t expect special treatment.”

Jeff nodded once. “Now we’ve got that out of the way. We’re breaking the rules here if we go any further. There’s no turnin’ back. You good with that?”

All Jared could focus on was how close the toe of Morgan’s boot was to his balls. “I’m. I’m good. I know what’s goin’ on here.”

“Good.” Very deliberately, Jeff set his glass down on the desk beside him.

Jared took advantage of the pause to drain the remaining whisky in his glass and hand it to Morgan.

Morgan set the glass down beside his own and then reached down and grabbed the front of Jared’s shirt and pulled until he had to stand straddling Morgan’s leg.

Jared swallowed and licked his lips. The tension was killing him.

Morgan tugged on Jared’s shirt again, dropped his leg and pulled until Jared was flush to his body.

There was already a hard bulge in Jeff’s fatigues and Jared couldn’t resist pushing his hips forward against it.

Jeff clenched his hand into a fist and held tightly to Jared’s shirt. “I want you. I’ve had my eye on you since the first day I saw you.”

Jared licked his lips again and couldn’t help the way that his gaze flicked down to Jeff’s lips then back up to his eyes. “You’re a good lookin' man, Jeff. I noticed you.”

When Jeff looked up, he was smiling slightly. “Guess it’s good we’re here then.”

Jeff’s hands fell to Jared’s hips, he dug his fingers in and took a deep breath.

Finally, Jared had run out of self-control. He leaned in and pressed his parted lips to Jeff’s. His tongue slipped forward and lapped Jeff’s mouth open.

Strong arms slid around Jared and tightened. Jeff’s lips parted and he deepened the kiss. 

Jared had never been more attracted to anyone in his life and as his heart sped up, his movements became more frenzied. Weeks of pent-up longing made him feel a little crazy.

Jeff pushed Jared back slightly and held him by the shoulders.

Jared reached up and pulled Jeff’s tie undone then slid it from under his collar. With trembling fingers, he undid the buttons on Jeff’s shirt and pushed it open. His fingers trailed over the black, curly hair that was spread in a cross over Jeff’s torso.

There was a tattoo over Jeff’s heart, a skull that looked like a biker’s sigil. Jared raised an eyebrow and traced it with his finger.

Sliding his hands under Jeff’s shirt, Jared pushed it off his shoulders. There was another tattoo on Jeff’s biceps: a cross. “I like the ink.”

Jeff simply smiled and reached for the hem of Jared’s t-shirt. He yanked it up and off over Jared’s head. One rough palm moved across Jared’s chest, a thumbnail caught Jared’s nipple and dug in slightly.

The sensation made Jared gasp quietly. His hands settled on Jeff’s thighs and held on tightly.

“You like that?” Jeff’s voice was even deeper.

“I like everything,” Jared said easily. He loosened his grip on Jeff’s muscular thighs and unbuckled his belt. “Let’s move this along.”

“You gettin’ impatient?” There was a crooked smile on Jeff’s face and a dangerous glint in his eyes.

“Yes,” Jared said as he lowered Jeff’s zipper. “I am.”

They shed the rest of their clothes quickly and Jared found himself pinned to the wall. Jeff held both of Jared’s wrists against the wall above his head with one hand.

“Wish you coulda kept your long hair,” Jeff murmured against Jared’s ear.

A shiver slithered down Jared’s body and he angled his hips back to press his ass back against Jeff’s hard cock.

Jeff let out a gravelly moan and his teeth dragged down the back of Jared’s neck. “You’re killin’ me.”

The rough stubble on Jeff’s chin made goose bumps skitter down Jared’s back. “Feeling’s mutual.”

Jeff’s mouth moved along Jared’s shoulder as his hands ran down Jared’s sides to cup his ass.

Jared struggled against Jeff’s hold and was even more turned on when he found he couldn’t get free.

Jared twisted slightly, trying to reach Jeff’s mouth. He was already hooked on kissing the man who was pressed up against his back.

Jeff kissed Jared’s bottom lip then mouthed his way back to Jared’s ear. “Gonna open you up, baby.”

Jared wasn’t one for pet names but he was pretty sure Jeff could get away with calling him anything he wanted.

There was a noise that sounded like a lube bottle opening then Jared felt cool, slick fingers stretching him open. His forehead thumped against the wall and he moaned. He didn’t want to wait any longer, he wanted Jeff inside him.

“Be patient,” Jeff murmured before licking the shell of Jared’s ear.

Another shiver shook Jared’s body and he pushed back against Jeff’s fingers.

“God dammit,” Jeff muttered. He yanked his fingers free and grunted.

Then Jared felt the press of Jeff’s cock against his ass. The burn of it made Jared bite down on his bottom lip. The pain receded quickly as pleasure washed it away. He pushed back and Jeff’s free hand smacked against the wall.

Jared could feel sweat sticky between their bodies, cool air coming in from the open window. As Jeff slid deeper into him, Jared clenched his hands into fists.

“Breathe,” Jeff whispered.

The moment the words were warm breath against Jared’s ear, he sucked in lungs full of air. His ass throbbed as Jeff pushed into him but it felt amazing.

Jeff’s mouth was on Jared’s shoulder blade as his hips thrust forward for the first time.

Attempting to speak was pointless. Jared’s chest was heaving, his muscles tight and his heart was racing.

“Stay with me,” Jeff murmured. He finally released Jared’s wrists, slid his hand up Jared’s arm then down over his shoulder and his side.

The way Jeff touched Jared was the perfect combination of gentle and rough. The changes were too fast and seamless and Jared couldn’t keep up with them. A rough thrust forward pounded pleasure into Jared’s body. A smooth slide of Jeff’s hand along the groove above Jared’s hip took his breath away.

Jared let heavy arms fall to his sides so he could reach back and grasp at Jeff’s slender hips.

Forehead resting against the wall, Jared groaned and murmured Jeff’s name. Each thrust felt harder and deeper and Jared could feel the skin on his balls tighten.

It was that moment that Jeff reached around like a fucking mind reader and grabbed Jared’s cock. He squeezed then slid his hand up, his thumb swept over the head and then he stroked in time with each forward thrust of his hips.

Flailing his hand behind him, Jared managed to grab Jeff’s other hand. He wove their fingers together and held on tightly.

It was _real_. Jeff was _real_. It wasn’t just a fucking daydream anymore but it was so much better than Jared had fantasized.

Jeff’s hips snapped forward, he squeezed Jared’s cock, and he mouthed at Jared’s shoulder.

“Fuck,” Jared said breathily. His hips moved involuntarily. Jeff filled him, pushing into him repeatedly and cranking up the pleasure ripping through Jared’s body.

A low moan by Jared’s ear was the only warning he got before Jeff’s hips slammed forward a final time. He let out a muffled moan and his teeth sank into the meat of Jared’s shoulder.

Jared came when he felt Jeff’s body go rigid against his back.

His balls felt like they would explode and then there was only the release of come pulsing from his cock. Jared collapsed against the wall and Jeff fell against him.

They just stayed there for a while, panting, as their hearts slowed. Jared slipped his fingers free from Jeff’s and splayed them against the wall.

After a few long moments, Jeff eased himself free of Jared’s ass then nudged at his shoulder until he turned.

The wall was cool against Jared’s sweaty back and he sighed happily.

“Hey,” Jeff said in a thick voice. His eyes were dark, heavy-lidded and he leaned in to take Jared’s mouth in a languid kiss.

 

The muscles in Jared’s body quivered as Jeff’s tongue filled his mouth one last time before he pulled away.

“You’re comin’ back again. You know that, right?” Jeff chuckled and there was a hint of darkness to it.

“No argument from me,” Jared said quickly. He stretched his arms up and then rested them on Jeff’s shoulders.

For once, Jeff looked completely relaxed and it suited him. Jared slid his hand up Jeff’s neck and cupped his jaw.

When their eyes met, Jeff’s smile was warm with a hint of seduction. “Next time we’ll have to switch things up.”

Jared’s eyes widened slightly and he grinned. “Oh really?”

Tilting his head slightly, Jeff grinned. Those damned wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes and Jared realized how addictive the man was.

“Change is a good thing, Jared.” Jeff chuckled and stepped back slightly. He looked down, hand lingering on Jared’s hip as his thumb swept over the jut of Jared’s hip bone. “Mmm.”

“What?” Jared arched his back slightly, enjoying the thrill of having all of Jeff’s attention.

“Could look at you all night.”

All night. Damn. It would be a very long time before Jared and Jeff could spend an entire night together. But, there was potential for a lot of sneaking around in the meantime. _That_ could be fun. “I have to sleep soon, or Ackles will be the death of me tomorrow.”

Laughing, Jeff kicked some of their discarded fatigues aside until he found Jared’s PT shirt. He bent and picked it up; motioned for Jared to put his arms up and pulled it down over Jared’s head.

He straightened the shirt then smoothed his hand down over the cotton. “I’m gonna enjoy getting to know you, Texas.”

Smiling, Jared leaned in and kissed Jeff, long and slow.

~~~~~~~

Jared sat on his bunk and locked his footlocker. He couldn’t believe that basic training was over.

Not only was it over, but he and Matt were both going on to the Engineering Corps. The _good_ thing about that was that it was at the same base. They were moving to different barracks but the would still have the same Base Commander.

A smile made its way onto Jared’s suntanned cheeks. He had a good set of memories to draw on. Being fucked over Jeff’s desk was his favorite. He often called on the memory of the first time Jeff had sucked Jared’s cock until he begged to come. There were also the hours of conversations about everything from politics to gay rights. The laughing. The night Jeff had cleaned all the scrapes on Jared’s back after he’d had a bad fall on the obstacle course. There were so many good memories to go with the craziness of basic training.

Things were good and Jared was about to begin a new career.

“Jared! C’mon, man,” Matt called from the door. “Pellegrino says he’s gonna buy us all drinks.”

“I’ll be right there.” Jared stood and straightened his uniform. “Order me a beer.”

Matt patted the door frame then disappeared.

Jared unbuttoned his front jacket pocket and pulled out the envelope the Base Commander had slipped him earlier.

He opened the envelope and pulled out some folded paper. A key fell into his hand and Jared frowned as he unfolded the paper. The first page was filled with the familiar handwriting of his Lieutenant.

_”Jared,_

_A key to our place. You said I should do the things I love. So, I bought us this old place on a few acres. It’s there for us when we can be there. Home._

_I’m proud of you._

_See you at your first inspection._

_Jeff.”_

There was a huge grin on Jared’s face as he flipped to the second page. It turned out to be a map.

Jared closed his eyes for a few moments as warmth spread across his chest.

_Home._

He folded the letter carefully and tucked the key back inside the envelope. Once it was safely buttoned in Jared’s pocket, he straightened his uniform and headed out to join his friends.

He had beer to drink, a map to follow and a leave to enjoy.


End file.
